In April Qualcomm was forced to withdraw and refile its application after China’s Commerce Ministry said a preliminary review of the planned acquisition found “issues that are hard to resolve.”

The deal had earlier been approved by eight of the nine required global regulators.

Netherlands-based NXP is a major producer of semiconductor chips for automotive applications, a sector that is key to Qualcomm’s future growth as cars transition to electric power and autonomous control.

The Journal described the expected approval as a “significant step toward easing frayed U.S.-China trade relations.”

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